Quasi‐Stationary Electron‐Scale Current Sheet With Very Strong Electrostatic Field: Self‐Consistent Structure and Electron Acceleration.

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Title: Quasi‐Stationary Electron‐Scale Current Sheet With Very Strong Electrostatic Field: Self‐Consistent Structure and Electron Acceleration.
Authors: Leonenko, M. V.1,2 (AUTHOR) makarleonen@gmail.com, Grigorenko, E. E.1 (AUTHOR), Zelenyi, L. M.1 (AUTHOR), Fu, H. S.3,4 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics. Apr2026, Vol. 131 Issue 4, p1-18. 18p.
Subject Terms: Electric currents, Electron beams, Magnetic fields, Plasma physics, Electrostatic fields, Electron diffusion, Kinetic energy
Abstract: We study a self‐consistent configuration of the intense Electron‐Scale Current Sheets (ECSs) under the presence of strong guide field BM $\left({B}_{M}\right)$. The ECSs were observed within the tailward Bursty Bulk Flow in the extremely hot PS. The purpose of our paper is twofold. First, we would like to determine mechanisms supporting the quasi‐stationary ECS configuration, and, second, to investigate the possibility of additional electron acceleration by a strong ambipolar electric field, self‐consistently arising in the quasi‐stationary ECSs. We demonstrated that the intense ECSs (∼100 ${\sim} 100$ nA/m2 ${\mathrm{m}}^{2}$) have 1D planar configuration self‐consistently balanced by the central field‐aligned current and perpendicular currents in its southern and northern edges. The field‐aligned current is carried by the suprathermal high‐speed electron beam, while the perpendicular currents are supported by electron diamagnetic and E×B $\mathbf{E}\times \mathbf{B}$ drifts due to the presence of the strong ambipolar electric field (∼50 ${\sim} 50$ mV/m). Electron anisotropy currents are negligible in this configuration. We found that the vertical pressure balance in the ECSs is mainly contributed not by the increase in guide magnetic field, but by the electron pressure enhancement. The strong ambipolar electric field related to the ECSs can accelerate field‐aligned electron beams providing the energy gain up to ∼8 ${\sim} 8$ keV. This may lead to new ECSs formation in other PS locations contributing to the cascade generation of ECSs in the PS. Our study shed a new light on the mechanisms of the intense ECSs formation in hot collisionless plasma. Key Points: 1D structure of current sheet is supported by interplay of central parallel current and edge perpendicular currentsCentral parallel current is carried by suprathermal electron beam, while edge perpendicular currents are due to E×B $\mathbf{E}\times \mathbf{B}$ and diamagnetic driftsThe associated ambipolar electric field can provide energy gain for electrons ∼6 keV [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Label: Title
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  Data: Quasi‐Stationary Electron‐Scale Current Sheet With Very Strong Electrostatic Field: Self‐Consistent Structure and Electron Acceleration.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Leonenko%2C+M%2E+V%2E%22">Leonenko, M. V.</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> makarleonen@gmail.com</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Grigorenko%2C+E%2E+E%2E%22">Grigorenko, E. E.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zelenyi%2C+L%2E+M%2E%22">Zelenyi, L. M.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fu%2C+H%2E+S%2E%22">Fu, H. S.</searchLink><relatesTo>3,4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Geophysical+Research%2E+Space+Physics%22">Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics</searchLink>. Apr2026, Vol. 131 Issue 4, p1-18. 18p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Electric+currents%22">Electric currents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Electron+beams%22">Electron beams</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Magnetic+fields%22">Magnetic fields</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Plasma+physics%22">Plasma physics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Electrostatic+fields%22">Electrostatic fields</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Electron+diffusion%22">Electron diffusion</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Kinetic+energy%22">Kinetic energy</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: We study a self‐consistent configuration of the intense Electron‐Scale Current Sheets (ECSs) under the presence of strong guide field BM $\left({B}_{M}\right)$. The ECSs were observed within the tailward Bursty Bulk Flow in the extremely hot PS. The purpose of our paper is twofold. First, we would like to determine mechanisms supporting the quasi‐stationary ECS configuration, and, second, to investigate the possibility of additional electron acceleration by a strong ambipolar electric field, self‐consistently arising in the quasi‐stationary ECSs. We demonstrated that the intense ECSs (∼100 ${\sim} 100$ nA/m2 ${\mathrm{m}}^{2}$) have 1D planar configuration self‐consistently balanced by the central field‐aligned current and perpendicular currents in its southern and northern edges. The field‐aligned current is carried by the suprathermal high‐speed electron beam, while the perpendicular currents are supported by electron diamagnetic and E×B $\mathbf{E}\times \mathbf{B}$ drifts due to the presence of the strong ambipolar electric field (∼50 ${\sim} 50$ mV/m). Electron anisotropy currents are negligible in this configuration. We found that the vertical pressure balance in the ECSs is mainly contributed not by the increase in guide magnetic field, but by the electron pressure enhancement. The strong ambipolar electric field related to the ECSs can accelerate field‐aligned electron beams providing the energy gain up to ∼8 ${\sim} 8$ keV. This may lead to new ECSs formation in other PS locations contributing to the cascade generation of ECSs in the PS. Our study shed a new light on the mechanisms of the intense ECSs formation in hot collisionless plasma. Key Points: 1D structure of current sheet is supported by interplay of central parallel current and edge perpendicular currentsCentral parallel current is carried by suprathermal electron beam, while edge perpendicular currents are due to E×B $\mathbf{E}\times \mathbf{B}$ and diamagnetic driftsThe associated ambipolar electric field can provide energy gain for electrons ∼6 keV [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1029/2025JA034895
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 18
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      – SubjectFull: Electric currents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Electron beams
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Magnetic fields
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Plasma physics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Electrostatic fields
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Electron diffusion
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Kinetic energy
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Quasi‐Stationary Electron‐Scale Current Sheet With Very Strong Electrostatic Field: Self‐Consistent Structure and Electron Acceleration.
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            NameFull: Leonenko, M. V.
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            NameFull: Grigorenko, E. E.
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            NameFull: Zelenyi, L. M.
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              Text: Apr2026
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              Y: 2026
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